Tony Winner Nina Arianda Takes a Piece of ‘Joplin’

It’s “Summertime” and Nina Arianda just won herself a heck of a movie role.

The star of stage and screen is set to play legendary singer-songwriter Janis Joplin in the appropriately titled biopic, “Joplin,” according to Deadline.

Arianda, who recently won a Tony for her performance in the Broadway play, “Venus in Fur,” is actually the latest in a long line of actresses who have been attached to the role of Joplin over the years, including Zooey Deschanel, Renee Zellweger, Amy Adams and Pink. But “Joplin” looks like it’s going to be the Janis Joplin project that actually … well, happens.

Producer Peter Newman has been trying to get this indie film off the ground for the past 12 years and has managed to secure the rights to 21 of Joplin’s songs. “Joplin” also has a very interesting director set to call the shots: Sean Durkin, who made a splash at Sundance last year with his feature debut, “Martha Marcy May Marlene.”

Joplin first rose to prominence in the late 1960s as the lead singer of the psychedelic rock band Big Brother and the Holding Company and later as a solo artist with her more soulful backing groups, The Kozmic Blues Band and The Full Tilt Boogie Band. Her gritty singing voice and raw stage presence led her to being referred to as both “The Queen of Rock and Roll” and “The Queen of Psychedelic Soul.”

Joplin’s hits include “Ball ‘n’ Chain,” “Try (Just A Little Bit Harder),” “Kozmic Blues,” “Me and Bobby McGee” and, of course, “Piece of My Heart.” She died at the age of 27 on Oct. 4, 1970, just 16 days after the death of her colleague, Jimi Hendrix, who was also 27.

Nina Arianda’s screen credits include “Win Win,” “Tower Heist” and Woody Allen’s “Midnight in Paris.” If all continues apace, she’ll be rocking out as Janis Joplin in front of cameras later this fall.

“Raise Your Hand” if you’re excited for this one!

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